Falling property prices signify a muted end
to the booming Sydney market, with prices continuing to decline in key parts of
the city. While the Reserve Bank has yet to make a move, banks seem cautious
about the new conditions as they raise interest rates and initiate more
cautious lending practices. Despite the decline, most people are expecting a
mild decrease in prices over a lengthy period of time rather than a housing
market crash. Some experts have already come out saying that Sydney is now a
buyers' market, with the rate of decline seeming to stabilise over recent
months as the amount of stock continues to grow.

Christmas is just around the corner, which
means it's almost time to get out your credit card and start shopping. From new
gaming devices and wearable fitness gadgets through to household tech and
mobile speakers, technology always plays an important role during the holiday
period. Let's take a look at some of the best tech products available this
year, to give you some ideas for gifts to place under the tree.

Plastics are a common feature of modern
life, with different types of plastics found in everything from the clothes we
wear through to the beauty products we put on our skin. While these moldable
polymers are ubiquitous and can be highly useful, they have also been
associated with a range of problematic health issues. Microplastics are causing
particular concern among healthcare professionals, with these tiny pieces of
plastic either directly added to consumer products or created accidentally when
larger plastics break down.

When it comes to cycling culture and
infrastructure, some countries have a much better approach than others. While
there are more than one billion bicycles in the world, the distribution curve
is far from equal. Some cities embrace bikes with open arms, and others seem
reticent to set up bike-friendly infrastructure. If adopted, bike use is more
than just a way to get around your favourite city, it also has the ability to
improve your health and reduce your carbon footprint. Let's take a look at the
most bicycle friendly destinations on Earth and how they differ from the
struggling bike culture in Australia and New Zealand.

Property prices in Australia have fallen
for 12 consecutive months according to the latest CoreLogic data. While the
current slide is still mild by historic standards, some reports are forecasting
much bigger falls over the next 12 months. There are already clear warning
signs of renewed downward pressure, with national demand falling, auction
clearance rates continuing to slide across the country, and Melbourne
overtaking Sydney as Australia's weakest housing market.

As the years roll by and the wrinkles start
to develop, we have more to look back on but less faculty for doing so. While
decreasing memory as we get older might seem like one of life's tricks, there
are lots of things we can do to improve our recall and upgrade our state of
mind. Memory is a complicated process that’s made up of numerous brain
activities, which means this task can be tackled in a few different ways.

Spring is well and truly here, with more
light in the day both increasing the warmth of your home and highlighting the
dust in its corners. More than just a bridge between winter and summer, spring
is a time to start fresh, a time to hit the reset button on everything that has
been and lay the foundations for a better tomorrow. Spring cleaning is
well-established across much of the world, with this practical and effective
ritual helping you to take stock and get your home ready for the summer ahead.

The Aussie dollar plunged to two-and-a-half
year lows last week, with some forecasters predicting even lower levels in the
weeks and months to come. While the market has showed some buoyancy to recover
from a low of 70.41 US cents, a strong greenback and rising international
tensions have some experts predicting the dollar to fall well into the 60s by
next year. While currency movements are almost impossible to predict, the
future of the Aussie dollar will depend greatly on the yield spread with the
greenback and the domestic terms of trade.

The world of fine art is shrouded in
mystery, especially when it comes to the top end of the market. While most of
the world's famous masterpieces are owned by museums in Europe and rarely sold,
there is an active private auction market for some high profile works. In order
to determine the value of a piece of art, it's important to differentiate
between museum paintings and those owned by private collectors. While old
master works in museums are valued extremely high, most of them will never be
available for private sale.